


Through a bent Mirror

by somethingsinister



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Superman - All Media Types
Genre: But different, Enemies to Friends, Hospitals, Mental Instability, Therapy, loss of power, physical instability, regaining of power, very different, vr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:01:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28483572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somethingsinister/pseuds/somethingsinister
Summary: When you left you took everything but the humanity you never thought I had.How do I describe it? A strong bond of trust through their minds, and if one dies, so will the other with him, but what if the other one is nearly immortal?Not quite, but close enough.
Relationships: Batman & Superman, Clark Kent & Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent & Lois Lane, Clark Kent/Bruce Wayne, Superman/Batman
Kudos: 9





	Through a bent Mirror

It had been an exhausting day for Clark. He wouldn’t have minded if it was only typing up Interviews at the Planet, but he had to attend to one of Lex Luthors Gala Parties. Lois hadn’t been able to come with him so he had been on his own. Sighing, he fell onto the couch as soon as he got home. He rarely felt so worn out.

He must have dozen off because he was startled awake by his phone ringing. Din’t he have it on Silence? Maybe he forgot.

He picked up, suddenly fully awake as soon as he heard who was calling him.

“Superman, I need your help. Roof of the Clocktower, Gotham. Don’t let me wait” the line was cancelled.

Clarks heart raced at hearing the gravelly bass and he swore to now always check who was calling before answering his phone.

Batman seemed to have an urgent problem, so he changed into his suit at superspeed, flying off towards Gotham while his thoughts raced in his head.

Why would the oh so proud Batman ask him for help?

They’d met a few times, and they always ended up fighting, verbally or physically or both, but Batman had always despised him. He never remembered giving Batman his private phone number. Although he was sure Batman had known his personality since they first met so it wasn’t exactly surprising. It was Batman after all.

He landed on the Clocktower. Batman was already there, tapping something on his gauntlet. Clark patiently waited, looking around. He rarely was in Gotham, only if Perry asked him to, so he never got to see the City.

Metropolis and Gotham differ a lot. While Metropolis is rather bright, Gotham rather reflects a darker world with winding streets you’d inevitably get lost in. A beauty on it’s own, but none that Clark could appreciate.

“I know Alfred, I will. Don’t worry” He heard Batman say, so he turned his view back to the vigilante. “He’s here” Batman turned towards him. Clark found that his gaze didn’t hold as much hostility as the last few times, although the other’s face was hard to read through the cowl.

“A bomb and a hostage in Detroit. We need to defuse the bomb and get the hostage out. The bomb goes off in around five minutes and I won’t be over so fast. The bomb could probably wipe out the whole city. Get me over, drop me off and get the hostage to safety” It was an order, it didn’t leave any place for Clark to not agree.

He simply grabbed Batman by his arms and flew them over to Detroit as fast as he could without hurting Batman, then dropped him off where he commanded it and quickly flew out with the hostage again, getting the scared man to his home. He flew up again, hovering in the air over where he dropped the vigilante and began to scan for any signs of where he could be. His X-Ray vision showed him that the bomb indeed reached through the whole City.He focused his hearing on the vigilante, trying to pinpoint where he was or if he’d need any help. He had his heartbeat covered up through all the lead in his armor which made it impossible until Batman addressed him.

“Superman. I know you can hear this. I have everything under control. There’s nothing for you to do here anymore. Go home”

Go home. Huh, he’d heard this from Batman before.

_“Go home, Superman. Earth doesn’t need you, never has.”_

_“Earth is my home. The planet where I come from was destroyed”_

_“So you kill the next one?!”_

He sighed again, turning towards Metropolis again and slowly flying off. “A simple ‘Thank you’ would have done the job, too” He said against the sky. “But Batman doesn’t do nice, huh?” He shook his head again, heading home. He was still not exactly well-rested since Luthor just stores Kryptonite everywhere in his house. It simply couldn’t not affect Clark, so he immediately fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

He woke up to a text message on his phone from an unknown Number reading: “Thank you -B”

A few days later, Batman called him again to do the exact same thing, this time in Nashville. It went the same as last time, Clark flew them over, took the hostage and left Batman to defusing the bomb.

It went a few times like this, Denver, Phoenix and Portland, until Batman asked him to stay afterwards and help him defuse the bomb. Actually, the only thing Clark had to do was stand by and watch, only interfere if anything went wrong. And something did went wrong, just after defusing the bomb, Batman passed out. Just fell down. Superman picked him up, flying him onto the roof of a nearby house. Powell’s Book store, as Clark found out much later. Superman began to panic. Batman clearly needed help, but he didn’t know where he lived and also didn’t want to take him to a hospital. He silently pleaded that it would work, then shook Batman a little in the air. He gasped, but then regained his consciousness.

“What the-“ he looked at Superman, confusion clearly on his face. “Put me down!”

Superman put his feet back in the concrete of the roof. “If you promise me to not pass out again”

“I- damn” he hissed, feeling on his side just hidden under the cape. When he pulled his hand back, blood drippled from his glove. “Fly me to Wayne manor” he ordered just before passing out again. This time, Superman was quicker to catch him.

Wayne Manor. Does Bruce Wayne sponsor him? After all, all his gadgets and his vehicles probably do cost a lot of money. That’d at least explain why he can afford all that, Clark thought on their way. He was flying more cautious than ever, one hand always on Batmans wound. He felt quite funny, ringing on Bruce Wayne’s Residence with an unconscious, bleeding Batman in his arms.

“Oh my-“ an elderly man said as soon as he opened the door. “Come in”

The man, who introduced himself as Alfred, showed Clark where to carry the injured Batman. Clark had to admit that the manor was quite spacious, although he didn’t pay much attention to appreciate this while being led through the hallways. “I told Master Bruce to not do this tonight, I said that you could do it without his instructions. Ah, but he’s stubborn, what was I expecting… I’m glad you got him here directly and in one piece. Ah, here we are”

If not what Alfred just said confused Clark, this did even more. They were in a library. The walls were made out of full stacked bookshelves, in the middle was a table, a few armchairs stood there and in one shelf was a bust. Alfred, obviously the butler, went to the bust, unclasping it open and activated a small button inside of it.

Before them, the shelves parted giving away a spacious staircase leading downstairs. Bruce Wayne’s house surely was full of surprises!

He went down stairs, Alfred just behind him. The shelves behind them closed again, and lights along the way lit up. They weren’t bright, but one could see just fine.

The stairs led into a spacious underground cave.

“I believe you have never been here, Master Clark. This is the Batcave” Alfred gestured into the spacious cavern.

“I already thought so” Clark replied. There was a huge Server and Computer Screen, all his various vehicles, suits, everything unfinished on a working table, a training area, and a medbay with shower and toilet.

“Lay him over there” Alfred pointed to the medical stretcher. Alfred already laid a bandage and a small medical kit next to him when Clark settled Batman down. Which was the exact moment Batman choose to regain consciousness to. “What- Alfred” he gruffled, barely understandable.

“Now, Master Bruce, I told you to stay home!” Alfred chided, taking off the cape through a quick-release Button. He then began do disamble the rest of the suit while Clark still wondered about Alfred calling him ‘Master Bruce'. Could it be-

His assumption was proven to be correct when Alfred took off the cowl.

He then started to clean the wound, stitch it up neatly again and before bandaging it.

Clark still wasn’t finished gazing around the cave when Batman came up behind him, now only wearing sweat pants and no shirt over the bandage that was wrapped around the mans abdomen and shoulder to prevent it from slipping.

“Guess you now know who I am, Clark.”

Clark hummed in agreement, still mesmerized by the cavern.

Bruce went over to the Computer, doing some research. Clark left by flying out and headed home.

"Why did you have to bring him to the cave, Alfred?" he overheard Batman say. He probably shouldn't eavesdrop, but at this moment Clark didn't care.

"He'd have found out your personality anyways. I don't think he would have left before making sure you're alright."

Yeah, Clark thought, I would have done exactly that.

\--

“Team up, Clark” Batman pointed at the Map on his Computer screen a few days later.

“But that’s nowhere near us! Why Kasachstan?”

“It’s still the Joker”

“I see. I guess he’s doing the same as the last times?”

“Yes”

“But why Kasachstan?”

“It’s farther away. Since he never actually saw you he thinks I flew with the plane. Nobody would be surprised if it turned out to be invisible. So he takes longer distances to increase the difficulty. I suppose that won’t be a problem for you?”

“Of course not!”

“Perfect. That’ll be in three to four days. I’ll call as usual.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything else. Get well”

He said, about to leave.

“Thanks” Bruce said when Clark was already in the air.

“Always” He replied, flying off.

\--

Clark held a cup of tea he didn’t even notice Alfred giving to him while watching Bruce worked on upgraded armor for his car, screwing the old plates off.

“Kasachstan went well” he said, taking a sip of tea. It was quite tasty, a mix of orange and ginger.

“As expected”

“Do you think the Joker knows we work together?”

“If he does, we’ll notice because you’ll have a problem then. He hates you, you know”

“Doesn’t he hate you too?”

“No, that’s different. He hates you just like I hated you in the beginning. You’re not human, you’re invulnerable, you have all those superpowers etc. Hating you is typical for Gotham.”

“But if he doesn’t hate you, why does he always try to kill you?”

“He once started, just wanting me dead for fun but he didn’t succeed. Since then, he’s playing his crazy games whenever he breaks out of prison. Oh damn it!” he swore, grabbing a different screw driver. He cursed even more when he finally managed to get the plate off. “Shit, the engine shouldn’t get so warm and melt the plates from the inside. At least this material doesn’t bend very easy”

Clark smiled, taking another sip of his tea. He was glad that they had stopped fighting each other and got friends. Bruce wouldn’t like the term, but Clark didn’t care. They were friends.

\--

The next call came in the middle of the night. “Donetsk, Ukraine, cave now!”

He hung up faster than Bruce, a fun challenge he once started, before getting into his suit and sped off.

Donetsk. He remembered something but didn’t know what. It was important, that much he could tell, but what was it?

“It’s a Race against Time, Clark” Bruce said while they were flying.

“I’m sure we’ll manage”

“Don’t underestimate the Joker”

Bruce looked so tired, but Clark knew better than to point it out.

“We make a good Team. We can do it, B”

“Wish I had your optimism” Bruce mumbled, then focused on the situation. “Damn. The hostage is the trigger of the bomb. If he moves, Donetsk is wiped out.”

“Then what do we do?” He finally remembered completely. Lois was here today, having an interview with whoever so important was. She was in danger!

“Can you locate the Joker?”

Clark looked around, zooming his vision in and out. But even with Xray vision, he didn’t find the clown. Listening to everyone’s breath and heartbeat finally let him find the Joker.

“He is the hostage”

“I should have known he’d do something like that” Batman growled. “Set me down there quickly and don’t let yourself be seen. He shouldn’t know about you”

Clark did so, watching the scene from high above.

Batman approached the Joker, calmly growling out questions, but never reaching out. He was analyzing, Clark realized.

“Ohohoho Batsy, what will you do now?”

Quietly and unnoticed, batman had sent out a few remotely steered Batarangs to cut through the wires of the bomb, decreasing it’s reach with every cut wire. The Joker didn’t seem to notice, so caught up with joking around.

“It’s over, Joker” Batman said, stepping closer.

“Ah, not so close. We don’t want to cuddle, do we?” The Joker laid his hand onto the trigger button. “But if you’re cold, than can be helped!” he yelled hysterically laughing, smashing his fist onto the trigger. He immediately got incarnated, Batman tried to flee backwards while Superman sped down.

The explosion was small but hot and deadly.

Flames licking over their skins, and he fell down, trying to shield Bruces body with his own invulnerable one. But it was too late, the fire had already burnt out his life.

He cried until his lungs burnt, a sensation his body wasn't used to.

He didn't know how he'd gotten out, but Lois talking to him got him his hearing back, her distant voice starting to get through to him.

He looked down at his fists clutching to something, ash all over them. When he slowly opened his fists, hands relaxing and exhaustion taking over, dust and ashes fluttering down, all over him, his arms so purple and red and-

"Clark snap back, you're burned!" Lois reached out to touch his hands soothingly.

"Don't touch him" He barely managed to choke out.

"He... he isn't here anymore, Clark"

And the world faded around him with his sobs.

\--

"Clark. Clark!" He slowly blinked his eyes open, but the darkness didn't fade.

"All his senses have temporarily given out. Looks like his hearing came back" A quiet voice explained.

"How bad are his injuries?"

"It's a miracle he didn't burn completely" And after a break "he's healing"

"Thank you" Was the last thing he heard before he descended into this weird kind of void again.

Sometimes, he could hear a muffled beeping, but what always was the loudest was Lois voice whenever she visited. He never tried opening his eyes, it was pointless. He heard Lois, that was enough.

And she visited often. She even talked to him, always telling him to open his eyes if he could hear her, but he never did. He didn't want to realize that his vision was gone.

Clark could hear Lois talking to someone, but not loud enough that he'd hear it.

He felt his balance being shifted, before Loid addressed him. "Clark, today is Bruces funeral. We'll go there now. I... I know I haven't told you before, because I was afraid you wouldn't want to go, but I want you to attend."

He didn't protest, couldn't protest. Hadn't even fully processed that Bruce had died until now.

His funeral. Death. End.

He again felt being moved somewhere and a little shaking like he was in a car, someone supporting his weight all the time.

Then, he was moved into a chair, and wheeled a little further.

"We're there, Clark" Lois said. "You're on your own for now"

And he wanted to thank her, but his vocal chords failed him.

After a while, Lois whispered "theyre lowering his casket into the earth now" into his ear, and for the first time in a while, he opened his eyes. The cold green and blue of trees and the sky behind them soothed his mind, and when he let his eyes wander down, his gaze felt on a slink, black casket being slowly led into the earth.

He's not in there, he told himself, closing his eyes again.

Because Bruces remnants were still sticking to Clarks skin, his ashes still running through Clarks fingers. He screwed his eyes shut in attempt of quieting down his thoughts, because there was nothing else that he could do instead of looking. And he had decided against it.

\--

"If you're listening, Clark, open your eyes" And for once, he did. Lois gasped. "Can you see me?" She asked, excited. "Uh, blink if you can!" He blinked. Her mouth pulled into a big smile. "Clark, this is awesome! I thought you'd never get better! Oh Clark, I'm so glad!" Suddenly, her phone rang. Clark's hearing had gotten normal again, and he was glad to hear it. There's still life out there. "Sure, I'll be there immediately!" She hung up and sighed. "Perry wants me to cover a story. I'll be back as soon as I can" Clark tried to listen to her after she left the room, but didn't succeed. Appears that his super hearing hadn't returned yet. Maybe Batman was right all along, he relied on them too much. He slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position. Seems like his arms were working just fine. But when he looked down at them, they were completely covered in bandages. He slowly peeled them off, revealing burnt skin. He... He couldn't burn, right? Slowly, he clenched his hands into fists, but his muscled gave in and his hands fell down like they weren't attached. He let his head fall back into the pillows, and his exhausting let him drift off to sleep easily.

\--

He woke up with an empty mind, a feeling he supposed he had lost along the way. He felt light, as if gravity didn't exist. When he slowly breathed out and opened his eyes, he saw the ceiling of his own room. With eyes working just fine. Slightly confused, he looked around. It seemed to be sunday morning and a glance out of the window revealed cloudy weather, although the sun was peeking through from time to time. Closing his eyes again, He sighed content. What a nightmare, seeming so real! He pulled his blanket back, an automatic move memorized long ago, he tapped over to his kitchen, deciding to make himself his favorite tea to process what he he dreamed. On his way, just a few steps out of his bed, he caught a glimpse of himself in a window reflecting his appearance.

Arms bandaged, wearing a hospital gown.

'No' he thought, that's not real. Uncertainty still let him take a look down his body.

Arms bandaged, wearing a hospital gown.

"No" He whispered, trying to assure himself, trying to stay in this reality that made everything bad a nightmare. Failing, he broke down, the void enclosing him again, as he was used to.

Still, he faintly caught a voice announce an emergency in Room 267, asking a nurse to take care of the patient.

\--

He wasn't asleep, but he was too lazy to pretend to have woken up. Two voices were in range of his human hearing, one of them was Lois, he could at least be sure of that.

"What do you mean, Doctor?"

"I believe that he unconsciously doesn't let his body heal any further because he cannot put his mind to living. He'll need therapy. Although without his ability to talk, that would be almost impossible. I thought about a VR system connected to his brain so he won't need to talk"

"I- thats quite a lot to process for me. I wish he could decide for himself... It'd be nice if you'd let me think about it"

"Of course, Miss Lane"

Lois' steps faded away, a door closed.

He knew he was smart enough to know what the doctor said, but he couldn't put his mind to thinking.

Not today. It was still sunday morning, right? Sunday morning ment that he could simply relax into his bedsheets again.

\--

"Ah, Miss Lane, it's good youre here so soon again. A package from someone unknown has arrived. It's for Mister Kent"

"Thank you, doctor. I'll open it for him."

Clark could hear the rustling of Lois opening the package.

"It's a VR headset. Who could have... Oh, here's a note to it. For Clark, from A. It is specifically made for his condition" She murmured what was written. "I know who A is. He dislikes being known, but we can trust him." She explained to the Doctor.

"If you say so, Miss Lane"

"There's no harm in trying, is there?"

"No. You're free to let him use the headset"

"Thank you, Doctor. I am sure that it will help him!"

\--

Clark looked at the VR headset, turning it around in his hands. Lois looked at him expectant.

Encouraged by her, he put it on. It immediately turned itself on. A familiar face came into his view.

"Good Day, Master Kent. I will introduce you to the headset before you're off to use

it freely. You can virtually meet up with Master Bruce. You can decide whether you meet him as Batman or Bruce Wayne. It is also possible for you to do mental crime fighting, go to Gala events et cetera. You're free to do anything. I hope you get well soon, Master Kent."

Alfred vanished again, and before his eyes two options flashed up.

"Batman"

"Bruce Wayne"

He chose Bruce Wayne, and his heart immediately clenched when he saw his face.

"Hello, Clark" he was greeted.

"Hi"he replied cautious, taking in Bruce from head to toe.

“Like what you see?” Bruce said teasingly.

“Oh, this is made awesomely close to reality!”

“You’ll have to thank Alfred”

They chatted for a while, Clark always a little reluctant. He couldn’t quite believe whatever was going on.

When he put down the headset, Lois was already gone. Clark didn’t even know how long he had been talking to Bruce, but the second he pulled off he felt exhaustion washing over him, letting him fall asleep quite easily.

\--

Clark found that hearing Bruce’s voice soothed his mind, so he relaxed more and more into their meetings, even falling asleep a few times. His dreams were pleasant, showing a normal life like he desperately wished to have his own one back.

“You know, Clark, you can make this your own reality. However you like things to be.“

“Don’t do this, Bruce, don’t give me hope!”

“I- sorry?”

“you just… you’re exactly like I remember you. But you’re just a program!”

“I am just a program” Bruce replied calmly, the corners of his mouth turning up into a friendly smile.

“But-“ Clark just stopped talking, a mix of frustration, hope, anger bubbling up inside of him, tears streaming down his face.

“This… His skin cells are healing him at unmatched speed!” he faintly heard an exclamation. “I have never seen this before!”

“So the VR works”

“Yes.”

\--

“You do know Gotham quite well” Batman said, looking down at the city Clark had made from his memory.

“Thanks. I’m still not quite sure about the Dixon Docks”

“They look good….You even remembered what gangs are in which area”

“Wouldn’t miss a single detail”

“I’m sorry about our first meetings. I underestimated your humanity”

“No need to apologize. I honestly didn’t think too well of you too”

Batman hummed, letting his gaze wander farther over Gotham, Metropolis just barely a silhouette on the horizon, sparkling like the rising sun coming up behind her.

\--

“Clark” Lois said, hugging him as soon as she was near enough. “You’re allowed to move home!”

Clark smiled, hugging her back. “I’m glad”

“So am I” she replied, letting go of him. “A and I decided that you shouldn’t start work just now. He’ll sponsor everything you’ll need”

“He’s the best. How can I ever thank him enough” And together with Lois, he walked over to his apartment, the VR securely in his backpack. He wouldn’t stop using it even though he’s fully recovered. He wouldn’t.

\--

“What breeds from hate” He said, “…more than I expected”

Bruce looked back at him, thoughtful. “You miss me, don’t you”

“Like hell. I keep my eyes closed so I wont miss this reality as soon as it’ll vanish”

\--

“So you left the hospital”

“Yeah, but my time there is the best proof I’ll get so people won’t link Superman to me” He told Batman who was crouching on a rooftop. Clark hovered next to him in his superman suit.

The vigilante didn’t answer but Clark knew he was listening.

“Superman is such a cheesy name” He sighed. “I’m not that super.”

“You saved millions of people”

“I couldn’t even save the both of us. I couldn’t even save you. I couldn’t even save the most important of all, what’s that compared to the rest?”

“You did your best”

“But it wasn’t enough”

“What’s enough to you?”

“For us both to be well. What about you?”

“You’re alive”

“Hardly”

“You couldn’t have known that he’d kill himself with it”

“I should have been faster!”

“What’s the point in trying to change the past”

“The present is shit”

“But you’ll be more successful if you try to change your present and future than blame yourself for not changing what’s already happened. It’s been nearly two years, Superman.”

\--

**Big news: after two years without any hero around and the mysterious vanish of Superman and Batman, the former finally returned to Metropolis!**

Clark waited for everyone to settle down a little before speaking up.

“I apologize.

I apologize for vanishing. Batman and I were caught in a explosion two years ago and… He didn’t make it. My body might be invincible, but my mind isn’t.”

Clark made a short break, taking a deep breath. He felt unusually calm.

“I’m just a man, I’m not super. If I truly were, I could have changed the past and brought him back. You must be foolish to have unconditionally believed in me. But, never stop believing. Believe in yourself, because so do I. I believe in all of you to do good without me and Batman around as you have the last two years. I’ll be leaving you, there’s no point in me staying. I have failed.”

Stunned silence was among the world as he ascended into the air again, higher snd higher into space. “Goodbye” He whispered, tears escaping his eyes. Then he turned his back onto his beloved planet, going further and further.

And he closed his eyes, peace filling all his senses, letting his body float through space while his mind and soul slowly dissolved into nothingness.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this!
> 
> Sadly, you can notice the big difference between what the original ideas and promts were and what I wrote around it to fill gaps that I feel should be explained.
> 
> I apologize for spelling mistakes and grammatical mistakes. I'll read over it some time and check everything.


End file.
